Pool or tank cleaning vehicle with a powered brush

ABSTRACT

A pool cleaning vehicle is described comprising a body mounted on wheels such that it can roll over a surface. The body carries a water inlet port and a water outlet port with the inlet port being located on the bottom of the body. It also has a filter mechanism interposed between the inlet and outlet ports. An electric motor mounted is on the body between the two sides of the body with a shaft extending out of it with a propeller mounted on the shaft. The motor is mounted such that the propeller expels water out of the outlet port. A roller brush extends between the same two sides of the body generally transverse to the direction of travel of the vehicle and the roller brush is rotated by the electric motor via a linkage.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/681,899, filed on Nov. 20, 2012, which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are robotic cleaning vehicles which traverse the bottom ofswimming pools and other large liquid containers submerged in thecontained liquid, drawing in liquid from ports in their bottoms, passingthis liquid through filters in the body of the vehicle and expelling thefiltered liquid back into the large container, typically a swimmingpool. These vehicles typically travel on wheels which suspend the bodyof the vehicle above the bottom of the container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A pool cleaning vehicle is provided comprising a body mounted on wheelssuch that it can roll over a surface. The body carries a water inletport and a water outlet port with the inlet port being located on thebottom of the body. It also has a filter mechanism interposed betweenthe inlet and outlet ports. An electric motor mounted is on the bodybetween the two sides of the body with a shaft extending out of it witha propeller mounted on the shaft. The motor is mounted such that thepropeller expels water out of the outlet port. A roller brush extendsbetween the same two sides of the body generally transverse to thedirection of travel of the vehicle and the roller brush is rotated bythe electric motor via a linkage. In another embodiment, a pool cleaningvehicle includes a body mounted on wheels such that it can roll over asurface. The body includes water inlets and outlet ports. The inletports are located on the bottom of the body, and the outlet ports directwater flow in two opposing directions. A filter mechanism is interposedbetween the inlet and outlet ports. An electric motor is mounted on thebody between the two sides of the body operatively rotating a propeller.The motor is mounted such that the propeller expels water out of one ofthe outlet ports. A roller brush extends between the same two sides ofthe body generally transverse to the direction of travel of the vehicle.The roller brush is rotated by the electric motor via a linkage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cleaning vehicle.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom of a cleaning vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the interior drive train elements of thepowered roller brush of a cleaning vehicle.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a partial cut away of a cleaning vehiclewith an extended telescoping handle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown one embodiment of a cleaning vehicle10 with a powered roller brush 20. It is suspended on front wheels 30and back wheels 40 at a height such that the scraping members 29 of itspowered roller brush 20 contact the surface on which the wheels 30 and40 travel. In one embodiment, then distal ends of members 29 just makecontact with the surface on which the wheels 30 and 40 travel, tominimize the load on the motor as will be discussed below.

In one embodiment the vehicle may be placed in and removed from its useenvironment by a telescoping handle 50. Its internal electric motor 80(shown in FIG. 3) receives power from power cord 60 which connects to aremote power source. The vehicle is propelled by the expulsion of theliquid from one of its outlet ports 70. The vehicle 10 functions toclean the surfaces of a large liquid reservoir, such as a swimming pool,which are covered by the liquid stored in the reservoir. The vehicle 10is submerged in the stored liquid and is then propelled by taking inliquid through its inlet ports 72 visible in FIG. 2 and expelling it outone of its outlet ports 70 visible in FIGS. 1 and 4. The water movementis effected by electric motor 80 visible in FIG. 3 turning itspropellers 82 and 84. The direction in which the vehicle 10 is propelledis determined by the direction of rotation of the electric motor 80which is in turn controlled by signals received from the power supplyvia floating cable 60. The propellers 82 and 84 are driven by the motor80 to expel liquid out of either the outlet port 70 above the frontwheels 30 (visible in FIG. 1) or the outlet port 70 (visible in FIG. 4)above the back wheels 40. In accordance with the well known physicsconcept of action and reaction the vehicle 10 will be propelled in adirection opposite to that in which the liquid is expelled.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the electric motor 80 is also used to powerthe roller brush 20. The electric motor 80 is equipped with a gear box86 which translates the rotation of the electric motor 80 by 90.degrees,or some other angle, and also reduces the number of rotations in somefixed ratio such as 1:30 or any other ratio. A common way to effectthese changes is with a combination of a combination of a worm gear witha spur gear. However other types of mechanical connection may be used.The gear box has a takeoff spindle 88 which carries a pulley 89 whichtransmits force to a gear train or drive belt system 21. The drive belt21 in turn transmits this force to a pulley 22 on a drive transfer shaft23. This drive transfer shaft 23 is supported by an elongated bushing24. This drive transfer shaft 23 carries another pulley 25 at its otherend which transmits force to a second drive belt 26. This drive belt 26is looped over a fourth pulley 27 which is free to rotate. This drivebelt 26 frictionally engages the axle 28 of the roller brush 20. Thisfacilitates slippage between the roller brush 20 and ultimately theelectric motor 80, should the roller brush encounter some type ofobstacle like a large piece of debris on the surface being cleaned. Thisavoids the vehicle 10 becoming stalled by such obstacles and allows thevehicle 10 to pass over them. Where a gear train is used in place of adrive belts, a clutch may be positioned between the motor and the rollerbrush 20. The clutch will allow the motor continue to rotate thepropellers if the roller brush is obstructed from rotating by debriswithin the pool.

The roller brush 20 and the front wheels 30 are both mounted to thevehicle 10 via suspension brackets 34. This arrangement allows the frontwheels 30 to be mounted without a transverse axle, thereby facilitatingthe mounting of the roller brush 20 between the front wheels 30. Amongother advantages this positions the roller brush 20 to aid the vehiclein climbing the side walls of the reservoir being cleaned. The suctioncreated through the inlet ports 72 by the action of the propellers 82and 84 tends to hold the vehicle to non-horizontal and even verticalside walls so long as these side walls are submerged in liquid. Theexpulsion of liquid from an outlet port 70 will propel the vehicle upthe side wall but the roller brush 20 aids in this climbing operation.

Referring to FIG. 4, a telescoping handle 50 makes it easier to placethe vehicle 20 into and withdraw it from the reservoir in which it is tooperate. The handle comprises two side arms 52 and a cross arm 54, whichcan be readily grasped. The side arms 52 are accommodated in receivershafts 56 which have ends 58. The shafts 56 are long enough that thehandle 50 may be fully retracted so that it is flush with the vehicle ascan be seen in FIG. 1. The side arms 52 and the shafts 56 interact suchthat the handle 50 can support the free air weight of the vehicle 10.This is accomplished by providing one or the other or both with lockingmechanisms to limit the travel of the side arms 52 out of the shafts 56.

Referring to FIG. 4, the design of the vehicle with longitudinal filters90 readily accommodates the shafts 56. The vehicle 10 serves itscleaning function by drawing fluid containing dirt and debris into itsinlet ports 72 and subjecting this fluid to a filtering action beforeexpelling it out of its outlet ports 70. The positioning of the electricmotor 80 and its propellers 82 and 84 longitudinally above thecenterline of the vehicle allows the placement of the filters 90parallel to this centerline and in one embodiment filters 90 are angledto accommodate the shafts 56.

The outlet ports 70 are angled a bit upward from horizontal. Thisprovides a downward force on the vehicle which aids in the vehicleclimbing the side walls of the reservoir being cleaned.

While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed herein, many modifications and changes will occur to thoseskilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appendedclaims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fallwithin the true spirit of the invention.

1. A pool cleaning vehicle comprising: a body mounted on wheels suchthat it can roll over a surface, the body carrying at least one waterinlet port and two water outlet ports configured to direct water flow intwo opposing directions with said at least one water inlet port beinglocated on a bottom of the body and a filter mechanism interposedbetween said at least one water inlet and said two water outlet ports;an electric motor mounted on the body between two sides of the body witha first shaft extending from the motor with a propeller mounted on thefirst shaft, the motor mounted such that the propeller creates suctionthrough said at least one water inlet port to draw water containing dirtand debris and to expel water out of one of the two water outlet portsto propel the vehicle; and at least one roller brush extending betweenthe two sides of the body generally transverse to a direction of travelof the vehicle, said at least one roller brush being rotated by theelectric motor via a linkage.
 2. The pool cleaning vehicle of claim 1,wherein the rotation of the wheels is independent of the rotation of theroller brush.
 3. The pool cleaning vehicle of claim 1, wherein theroller brush comprises a cylindrical shaft carrying a plurality ofscraping members and being rotationally affixed to the body such thatthese scraping members contact the surface over which the vehicle rollson its wheels.
 4. The pool cleaning vehicle of claim 1, wherein said atleast one roller brush comprises two roller brushes, each providedproximate either of two ends of the vehicle, the roller brushes beingtransverse to the direction of travel of the vehicle and extendingbetween the two sides of the body which are parallel to the direction oftravel.
 5. The pool cleaning vehicle of claim 4, wherein only one of theroller brushes is driven at a time.
 6. The pool cleaning vehicle ofclaim 4, wherein both of the roller brushes are driven to rotate in acommon direction.
 7. The pool cleaning vehicle of claim 1, wherein thelinkage is a gear train with a clutch or one or more drive beltsarranged such that, if the rotation of said at least one roller brush isinhibited, slippage occurs which allows the motor to continue rotating.8. The pool cleaning vehicle of claim 1, wherein the wheels are mountedto the body via axles proximate to either ends of the body in thedirection of travel and the motor is mounted along a midline of the bodyin the direction of travel approximately half way between and above theaxles.
 9. The pool cleaning vehicle of claim 1, wherein the filtermechanism comprises longitudinal filters placed in parallel to acenterline of the vehicle, and in parallel to the first shaft.
 10. Thepool cleaning vehicle of claim 9, wherein the longitudinal filters areangled.
 11. The pool cleaning vehicle of claim 1, wherein a hollow shaftis provided on each of the sides of the vehicle parallel to thedirection of travel and two side arms of a telescoping handle areslidably contained in the two hollow shafts, are joined at their endswhich project out of the hollow shafts by a crosspiece, and either carrya locking mechanism which interacts with the hollow shafts or interactwith a mechanism mounted one or both of the hollow shafts to prevent theside arms from fully withdrawing from the hollow shafts.
 12. A poolcleaning vehicle comprising: a body mounted on wheels such that it canroll over a surface, the body carrying at least one water inlet port andtwo water outlet ports configured to direct water flow in two opposingdirections with said at least one water inlet port being located on abottom of the body and a filter mechanism interposed between said atleast one water inlet and said two water outlet ports; an electric motormounted on the body between two sides of the body with a first shaftextending from the motor with a propeller mounted on the first shaft,the motor mounted such that the propeller creates suction through saidat least one water inlet port to draw water containing dirt and debrisand to expel water out of one of the two water outlet ports to propelthe vehicle; at least one roller brush extending between the two sidesof the body generally transverse to a direction of travel of thevehicle, said at least one roller brush being rotated by the electricmotor via a linkage; and a gear box for translating the rotation of thefirst shaft by some angle and for rotating the brush.
 13. The poolcleaning vehicle of claim 12, further comprising: a first pulleyattached to a second shaft which extends from the gear box and rotatesin the direction that water is expelled from the outlet ports; and asystem of pulleys and drive belts which transmits the rotation of thefirst pulley to the roller brush such that the second shaft can continueto rotate when the rotation of the roller brush is obstructed; theroller brush extending between the two sides of the body transverse tothe direction of travel, carrying a plurality of scraping members androtationally affixed at its ends to the body such that these scrapingmembers contact the surface over which the vehicle rolls on its wheels.14. The pool cleaning vehicle of claim 13 wherein a first belt connectsthe first pulley to a second pulley mounted on an end of a third shaftwhich is perpendicular to a direction in which water is expelled fromthe outlet ports, and the second pulley is midway between the same twosides of the body; the third shaft extends to one of these sides, isrotationally affixed to the body and carries a third pulley; a secondbelt connects this third pulley to a fourth pulley mounted on the end ofa fourth shaft such that this second belt drives the rotation of theroller brush.
 15. The pool cleaning vehicle of claim 13 wherein theroller brush has an axle on which it rotates which protrudeslongitudinally out on either ends of that roller brush; and wherein thesecond belt interacts frictionally with the protruding axle to drive theroller brush.
 16. The pool cleaning vehicle of claim 13 wherein said atleast one inlet port comprises two inlet ports, the two inlet portsbeing on opposite sides of a midline of the body parallel to the firstshaft of the electric motor; two filters, each of the filters beinginterposed between one of the inlet ports and one of the outlet ports; ahollow shaft between each of the filters and a side of the body which isparallel to the midline; and two side arms of a telescoping handle whichare slidably contained in the two shafts and which are joined at theirends which project out of the shafts by a crosspiece and carry a lockingmechanism which interacts with these shafts or a mechanism mounted onthese shafts to prevent the side arms from fully withdrawing from theseshafts.
 17. The pool cleaning vehicle of claim 16 wherein the lockingmechanism is configured to jointly support the weight of the vehicle inopen air such that the vehicle can be suspended in open air by thecrosspiece of the telescoping handle.
 18. The pool cleaning vehicle ofclaim 16 wherein the telescoping handle projects out of the end of thevehicle where the roller brush is located.
 19. The pool cleaning vehicleof claim 12 wherein two of the wheels on which the vehicle rolls areeach mounted on opposite sides of the vehicle such that the roller brushlies between the two wheels and having a long axis running between thetwo opposite sides.